The government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts has handed over 71 fuel tankers to various youth cooperatives drawn from across the country.
Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts Elvis Nkandu handed over the fuel tankers during a ceremony at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Wednesday afternoon.
The event in Ndola saw cooperatives receive the tankers after the conclusion of the establishment of the new modalities for disbursing.
Most of the 71 fuel tankers were procured by the previous Patriotic Front PF government under then Minister of Youth Emmanuel Mulenga.
Several Ministers among them Chushi Kasanda of Information and Media, Small and Medium Enterprises’ Elias Mubanga and his Copperbelt counterpart Elisha Matambo were present.
In his keynote speech as guest of honour, Mr. Nkandu urged more youths countrywide to apply for various empowerment programmes.
Mr. Nkandu said he was disappointed that fewer youths are applying for various empowerment programmes under the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts.
He disclosed that less than 200 youths from all the ten provinces had applied for the fuel tankers empowerment scheme.
Mr. Nkandu said unlike in the past youth empowerment programmes are now non partisan.
He said segregation that characterised the disbursing of the fuel tankers in the past was sorted out and the right people will benefit.
“In the entire Northern Province only five applications were received. Only five applications the whole Northern Province. Whom do you want to blame ad youths? You are just bringing yourselves down. Go and tell your fellow youths that you are just bringing yourselves down. Under general empowerment programme we only received 457 applications the whole country but you are hearing youths complain that the government is not helping us. How can you be helped if you are not identifying yourself? Under general empowerment programme you request government to buy you things like block-making machine, tailoring machine, saloon equipment, water pumps for farming,” Mr. Nkandu said.
He said operators of the fuel tankers will be linked to oil marketing companies by the government.
“The Government of the Republic of Zambia through our Ministry has hand over 50 Fuel Tankers to 50 Youth cooperatives drawn from across the country at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola District of the Copperbelt Province. This is following the conclusion of the establishment of the new modalities for disbursing various youth empowerment programmes under our ministry. We also wish to inform the nation that the 50 additional fuel tankers that were procured under the youth empowerment programme have since been inspected and are ready for distribution.We are aware of the segregation that characterised the disbursement of youth empowerment programmes in relation to the selection of beneficiaries in the past, and that will no longer be the case under the New Dawn Government led by President Hakainde Hichilema. We further wish to assure the youths and the nation at large of transparency in the distribution process to ensure that the intended youth cooperatives benefit from the initiative,” Mr. Nkandu said.
Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe said the disbursing of various Youth Empowerment schemes is inclusive as youths from all the 10 provinces have benefitted.
Mr. Chileshe said the New Dawn government view youths as equal partners to the development of Zambia.
He said youths have the potential to change their lives, community and nation at large.
“The youth are equal partners to the development of our nation, Zambia.Today, we are disbursing various Youth Empowerment schemes in the Copperbelt Province for all the 10 provinces.This is indeed what the youth need to uplift their livelihoods and participate in the New Dawns commitment that no one is left behind in attaining development.Youths do not only have the potential to change their lives but also to change their community and nation at large as they turn their fortunes with the help of their government,” Mr. Chileshe said.
In November, 2020, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development empowered 52 youth cooperatives on the Copperbelt Province.
The 52 youth cooperatives received funding for their projects worth over K11 Million.
The money was part of the K470 Million Multi-Sectoral Youth Empowerment Programmes launched by then President Edgar Chagwa Lungu on 15th August, 2020 in Ndola.
The Minister presented 2 Fuel Tanker Trucks, 2 Rosa Buses and various youth empowerments to youth cooperatives.
You call this development? Embarrassing
A UK based blogger spewing insults on every political article can only mean one thing…the Impostor is back to his old ways.
Embarrassing yourself. Why don’t you proudly support your hh like we proudly support our party, pf? Why does our party send shivers down your weak spine?
THIS SCHEME WONT LAST LONG
IT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING AND WHO IS GOING TO SPONSOR THE REPAIRS
AND COSTS INVOLVED IN SUCH A VENTURE
THE USLESS PF STARTED THIS AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED
These are specialist sectors that dont require cowboys operating in them…these Chinese trucks will do 1000 miles then put on blocks as spares will be hard to come by…not even a Transportor would buy them as they are too expensive to run in the long term.
You have a cadre for a PS with all those Ministers what do you expect; tankers handled to cadres…this scheme should have been just cancelled trucks sold to companies that know what they are doing. Expect to read about some accident in the near future
Don’t forget the minister himself started as Hustler.
You can not to claim to be different to Lazy Lungu when you are chaampoining his wastful K470 Million Multi-Sectoral Youth Empowerment Programmes…its laughable..
YOUTH ??
is 30 & 40 Yrs old a youth ??
“We are aware of the segregation that characterized the disbursement of youth empowerment programmes in relation to the selection of beneficiaries in the past, and that will no longer be the case under the New Dawn Government led by President Hakainde Hichilema.”
If you investigate further, you will find the opposite of what has been said as above. We know how this regime operates.
YOU ON ABOUT HH ALL THE TIME
HE HAS DEFINITELY GOOD INTENTIONS BUT A LOT OF MP’S AND MINISTERS ARE LETTING HIM DOWN
IF HE DONT RESHUFFLE WE ARE GOING NOWHERE
Tikki 6.1 what the children do says alot about their parents.
These are PF initiatives. Awe shuwa. Ni Forward na Dununa Reverse ndipo.
Relativism at black and white.Juast acknowledge the good things PF did , capwa!!!!!
This is a specialised field. You dont bring Marketeers and Caders and give the fuel tankers(Not water tankers) When you have mayhem on the roads do not be surprised.
the hands which were pointing at the trucks as proceeds of crime today are handing over the same proceeds of crime to their children. the lesson from this is never trust a Politian.
This is not sustainable…..
But a hand to mouth incentive that will last a few years……….
GRZ should have created different companies in each province with those tankers, run by industry experts and other specialists…………
With profits ploughed back into youth training…………..
For once I totally agree with you….. not sustainable… what a lovely phrase.
Yes we need things that grow and keep on growing.
Not this which is a quick way of appeasing disenchanted Upnd youths… it’s here today but not tomorrow.
Why didn’t you give these to indent so that they can resume transportation of fuel and generate money to repair the refinery.
Copy and paste business model. Grabbing trucks from one cadre group to another and call it inclusive business for all. When did you interview these cooperatives for empowerment fund? This was just circulated in UPND WhatsApp groups and urged them to apply secretly.